?


    Arnold''s patience was wearing thin. He nced at his watch, frowning. "If you''ve got something to say, spit it out. I don''t have time to waste here with you."


    "Dr. Larson, do you like movies?" Elio ignored his frustration, shing a wicked smile. "I know Asher loves films. I''ve got a special one here, something I think he''d really enjoy."


    As his words fell, the massive screen lit up, casting an eerie glow over Arnold''s pale, bewildered face.


    The surround sound filled the room with intimate, yfulughter. Arnold recognized one of the voices immediately it was Asher''s. The other voice, unfamiliar but smooth and clear, carried a soft warmth.


    "Ash, do you love me?" The man asked with a chuckle.


    "I love you." Asher''s voice was low, raspy, and trembling with emotion. "I love you, forever and always."


    Asher had always beenposed, reserved, and disciplined. This level of intensity and raw passion was nothing that woulde from the man Arnold knew.


    "And what if... One day, I die?" The man''s voice held a hidden sorrow, subtle but unmistakable.


    Asher''s breathing was heavy,bored with emotion. "Don''t say things like that! If you die, I''ll follow you!"


    "No, Ash, I don''t want anything to happen to you. I want you to live well. But if that day doese, I hope you''ll remember me... Forever."


    Arnold felt the blood in his veins pool in his chest, his heart pounding against his ribs like waves crashing through his organs.


    Each beat left his heart more fractured and his soul more scarred.


    His trembling hand gripped the sofa for support, barely able to hold onto the bouquet of white roses in his arms.


    On the screen, Asher appeared alongside another handsome man, their faces pressed close to each other. The intimacy between them was unmistakable.


    Arnold''s eyes reddened as he stared nkly at the screen. The man looked strikingly simr to him, sharing many of the same features. Yet, no matter how alike they seemed, Arnold knew with painful rity that the man receiving Asher''s kisses and tender affection was not him.


    With a quiet rustle, the white roses fell to the floor, petals scattering haphazardly around his feet.


    In the video, the two men moved like lovers, undeniably in love.


    Arnold was merely a bystander to their happiness.


    The video was filmed by Asher himself, probably as a personal vlog. The scenes unfolded inside this very vi.


    They cooked together,ughed while cleaning the yard, and clinked sses on the balcony, enjoying the wind and each other''spany. Every frame was filled with warmth, with love -and in every moment, the other man was Asher''s sole focus.


    Arnold and Asher had done all these things together once, too.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The memories that had once been so sweet now felt like knives, each one twisting deeper into his heart. The entire room had be a living hell, where every second tore him apart.


    "Dr. Larson, he looks a lot like you, doesn''t he?" Elio''s voice broke the silence, his eyes gleaming with a mix of blood and hatred as he stared at the man on the screen. "Allow me to introduce him to you. His name was Kairos, my younger brother and Asher''s first love."


    "Lover... First love..." Arnold''s voice cracked, his eyes wide with disbelief as tears rolled down his cheeks. His body trembled uncontrobly.


    "We weren''t blood-rted," Elio continued, his voiceced with bitterness. "We met in an orphanage and grew up together. I took thest name Valen, but back then, Kairos did not even know his ownst name. So he called me his brother and took myst name."


    Elio''s expression tightened as he struggled to control his emotions. His gaze shifted back to Arnold, who stood frozen, his face drained of all color.


    "My brother endured immense pressure from society to be with Asher. In the end, to protect Asher, my brother died by Asher''s hand, taking the bullet that was meant to spare him pain."


    Elio''s smile twisted into something cruel as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with spite. "And now, just a few short years after my brother''s body has turned cold, Asher''s already reced him with someone new. The man who once vowed eternal love to Kairos has thrown him aside without a second thought!"